Phonograph pickup



June 7, 1960 B. B. BAUER ETAL PHONOGRAPH PICKUP 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Oct. 18, 1955 June 7, 1960 B. a. BAUER ETAL 2,939,716

PHONOGRAPH PICKUP Original Filed Oct. 18, 1955 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 g-NLS M W June 7, 1960 B. B. BAUER ETAL 2,939,716

PHONOGRAPH PICKUP Original Filed Oct. 18, 1955 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 June 7, 1960 B. B. BAUER EI'AL 2, 39,7

PHONOGRAPH PICKUP Original Filed Oct. 18, 1955 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 jag/0222122 ,Bazaaz; lee 62112581", (11'. and 672627166 E Sealer United States PatentO PHONOGRAPH PICKUP Original application Oct. 18, 1955, Ser. No. 541,152. Divided and this application May 23, 1958, Ser. No. 738,909

3 Claims. (Cl. 274-37) This invention relates to a phonograph pickup adapted to be mounted at the free end of the pivotal tone arm of a phonograph. In particular it relates to a-pickup of the character described having two needles capable of being positioned interchangeably at will in the playing position.

Phonograph pickups of the two-needle type have been known heretofore and these have conventionally been so constructed that each needle projects from a different side of the pickup, and to move a needle from the inactive position to the playing position requires rotation of the pickup cartridge in the phonograph arm. Such constructions have several inherent disadvantages. The non-operating needle, as well as the operating needle, is connected to the moving system at all times, thereby creating an increase in the mass of the moving system which has no useful effect and results in a decrease in the frequency response of the pickup. This additional mass tends to increase needle-talk and reduce the ability of the operating needle to follow the record groove, par-. ticularly 'at high frequencies. Also the non-operating needle frequently introduces an anti-resonance into the.

moving system at the frequency of natural resonance of said needle, thereby creating a serious lowering of the response of the pickup at that particular frequency. Also, the mechanical means for moving one needle out of and the other needle into the playing position involves a turnover mechanism which is complex and cumbersome and is usually unsightly and does not lend itself to a pleasing or streamline appearance. P

It is the object of the present invention to provide a.

two-needle pickup which is free of the objections and dis: advantages which have been described. It is the object of the invention to provide a pickup in which both needles are arranged on the same side of the cartridge and no turn-over operation is required to interchange the needles, but only a lateral shifting operation is required. It is another important object to provide a pickup which exhibits a high degree of fidelity and voltage sensitivity in reproducing recordings. To this end it is an object to provide a pickup in which the effective mass of the moving system is extremely low, specifically it is anobject to provide a structure in which only the needle which is in the playing position is connected to the moving system and the non-operating needle is not connected to such system. With this same end of high fidelity and sensitivity in view, it is an object to provide a structure in which each needle can be designed to provide the desired response characteristics for its particular intended service and full benefit can be realized from such characteristics without interference on the part of the other needle.

Another object is to provide a pickup having an efficient:

mechanical transmission to connect the needle to the transducing element which translates the mechanical vi-..

brations into electrical vibrations.

Another object is to provide a pickup structure which utilizes to a high degree of eificiency the properties of.

2,939,716 Patented June 7, 1960 the piezoelectric transducer for translating mechanical energy into electrical energy.

Another object is to provide a structure in which the replacement of worn needles with new needles is easy and simple for the ordinary phonograph user and in which the new needle is always positioned correctly in the pickup.

Another object is to provide a needle interchange mechanism which minimizes the likelihood of damage to the piezoelectric transducer element. Another object is to provide a structure which is simple and economical in mechanical design and lends itself readily to rapid machine production.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the following description progresses.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section, showing the mounting of a pickup embodiment in a phonograph tone arm, in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a front view, on an enlarged scale, taken along broken line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view, taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the same embodiment;

Figs. 5 and 6 are side and top views, respectively, of the electrical terminal member for said embodiment;

Figs. 7 and 8 are top and side views, respectively, of the replaceable needle holder member for said embodiment, with two needles mounted thereon;

Fig. 9 is a fragmental sectional view along line 9-9 of Fig. 3, showing the needle-shift mechanism in the intermediate position;

Fig. 10 is a fragmental side view, showing the piezoelectric transducer and the associated coupling member;

Fig. 11 is a view along line 11-11 of Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a side sectional view of the needle transport bracket, taken along line 12-12 of Fig. 13;

Fig. 13 is a view of the same bracket, along line 13- 13 of Fig. 12, and indicating the positions of the two needles;

Figs. 14, 15 and 16 are fragmental views along line 14-14 of Fig. 3, showing the shifting mechanism in the three positions thereof, (a) in which one needle is in playing position, (b) the intermediate position, and (c) in which the other needle is in playing position;

Fig. 17 is a view, similar to Fig. 3, of :a different embodiment of the pickup of the invention; t

Fig. 18 is a fragmental perspective view of the embodiment of Fig. 17, and

Figs. 19, 20, 21 and 22 are fragmental views, respectively, of four different embodiments of needle-shift mechanisms in accordance with the invention.

With respect to the pickup embodiment of Figs. 1 to 16, this comprises a casing 10 which is fixedly mounted in the free end portion of the hollow tone arm 11, which arm is pivotally attached to the phonograph (not shown) at the other end in the usual manner. The casing 10 is composed of two casing halves of suitable insulating material as synthetic resin, said halves having complementary cavities forming ,a suitable interior cavity 19 for the parts to be contained therein. The casing halves are fastened through which a threaded bolt 15 fastens the angle bracket and casing to a post '16 which extends downwardly from the top wall of tone arm 11. A pair of electrical terminals 17 extend from the rear end of the casing 10 and are connected to a pair of conductors 18 which, in; turn, are connected in the usual manner to the electricalacoustical .system of the phonograph. The terminals .17

-;general:form=jof:an:elongated 'bar,Lis 'mou-nted-substantially fixedly at its rearward end portion adjacent to the "rearward .nend so'f the -:cavity .19 :in, casing :10 and extends diagonally downward ?and forward. fljhecelement 21 :is clamped :betweenrtwo blocks 22:.oftan :el'astomeric material such as natural T01 syntheticrubber,:said element'2 1 -and blocks 22 being compressed between the side walls of the cavity 519. -As .is shown in .tFig. ill, the transducer element ;21 is composed of two. slabs :29 of .piezoelectric substance which may be of aicerarnictcomp'osition,'fandcompressedibetween ieach slab 20 andthe-z'mounti'ng block "22 :adjacent theretogis ithe .tablS of the terminal rneniber 17. As is shown in :Figs. and .6, :said tab extends upwardly and then :nurves r around '"and extends :rearwa'rdly and joins the main portion of "the terminal 517 which extends through the wall of casing 10. single-opening is provided for both terminals .17 in the rearward wall of casing 10, "and .atblock 24 of elastom'eric insulating materialjs :compressed into said openingfan'd between the terminals 17. The blocks 22 provide a send-rigidm'ounting support for the rearward end of thetransducerelement 21 whereby lateral vibratory motion of the free forward end of said element under the influence of the needle, as will be described hereinafter, causes a bending action'of :the element with iresulting generation of electrical impulsesas is well understood, said impulses being transmitted .to terminals 17, conductors 18 and the electrical-acoustical system of the phonograph.

At an intermediate portion of the transducer element 21, a damping :block 25 .is 'arrange'don each side of the element and under compression between the 'elementand the side wall of the cavity19. Such damping blocks 25 are composed of a suitable damping material, such as synthetic rubber. .At the forward end thereof, the element 21 has a protective covering 26 of insulating sheet material such as paper which is folded about and ad- 'hesively joined as by cement to the end portion of the element.

A coupling member 27 for transmitting mechanical vibrations from the needle to the transducer element 21 is conected in motion-transmitting relation to the free end of said element. The coupling member 27 is in the form of an elongated arm which is U shaped in transverse section throughout the major portion of'its length. At the upper end of member 27, the legs of the U are pressed together'to form a flattened or blade section which is inserted in a slot in the supporting and fulcrum block 31, which is fixed in a recess 33 in the upper portion of the cavity '19. Said fulcrum block is composed on an elastomeric material, such as natural orsynthetic "rubber, and the coupling member 27 is fixed in the recess of said block 'by suitable attachment means such as rubber cement 32. The block 31 is, likewise, fixed in position in the recess 33 by similar attaching means 34. The coupling member 27 extends downwardly from the block 31 and the free end of the transducer element 2 1 is received in the channel of the coupling member and is attached thereto as by cement. In the particular embodiment shown, the point of attachment of the transducer element to the coupling member is roughly two'thirds of the length of the coupling member away from the point of attachment to the block 31. The coupling member 27 extends downwardly beyond the transducer element 21 and the free end portion has a generally V-shaped notch therein, as shown at 35, for engagement with the needle 80 which is in operative position.

Means are provided for adjusting the vertical position of the coupling member 27 consisting of the screw 36 which is received in a threaded opening 38 in the top wall of the casing 10. This vertical adjustment is for the purpose ofproperly positioning the playing tip of needle .30. After such adjustment, cement 3 9 is placed in --'the--opening-38-ontop of screw 36 to fix the latter in position. In operation, the needle 80 undergoes lateral vibration in following the record groove, and coupling member 27 acts as a level fulcrumed upon block 31 in transmitting the vibrations to the free end of transducer element 21.

The needle-shift transport 'bracket40 is pivotally sup- .ported at the underside of the casing "10 on 'thestud 41 Whichrpasses vertically "through an-opening in the rearward' portio'n of casing 10 and is held in position by flanges 4-2 and 43 at the opposite ends thereof. The transport bracket is=shown separately in Figs. 12 and 13 and' consis ts generally 'ofa box-like frame having a spring steel blade 44 extending rearwardly therefrom. The forward portion of the blade 44 constitutes the transverse member '45 connecting the spaced apart side members 46, the cross member 45 having its plane extending generally horizontally and the side members '46 having their "planes extending generally vertically; At the forward portions thereof, one of the side walls 46 has' a downward protuberance 47 as shown, which protuberance occurs at approximately the same location (from front to back) as do the needle points, said protuberance 47 serving as 'a. bumper to absorb "shock and prevent injury to-the needles and the transducer element in case the pickup or tone' arr'n is accidentally dropped. At the forward end of the bracket the side members 46 are connected by the integral cross member 48. Cross member 48 has a forward and upward extension 49 which terminates in a horizontally disposed lip 50 which 'is curved so as to present a convex upper surface. Lip 50 serves as a'c'a'tn surface for the shifting operation as will be described hereinafter. At the forward end of bracket 40 are the two transversely spaced apart upwardly pmjecting arms 53 which also serve as cam surfaces for shifting the transport bracket and holding it rigidly {in each of the two playing positions thereof.

Extending rearwardly from the cross member '48 and located substantially midway between the side members 46 is the arm 54 which terminates in a needle-carrier element 55 having two downwardly opening notches which serve to carry the needles and maintain them in proper position during the shifting operation. The arm 54 extends upwardly immediately adjacent to cross member 48 and then at a level substantially equal to that of the top edge of cross members 46 it extends horizontally rearwardly until it is joined integrally to the needle-cairi'e'r 55 which extends downwardly. Needle-carrier 55 is wider than arm 54 as isshown in Fig. 13.

Blade 44 of transport bracket 40 is pivotally mounted on the end portion 56 of stud 41 which extends below flangev43, blade 44 having an opening 57 in its rearward end portion for this purpose. Said end portion is widened,

and has edges 51 projecting laterally from both sides, which edges serve as stops when inserting the needle holder as will be described hereinafter. The blade 44 is held in position by washer 58 upon the end of project is constantly urged against the said cooperating eamsu e face, whereby, in all of its positions, the bracketis held firmly under resilient pressure. As is shown in Fig. 3, a

recess 59 is provided in the forward portion of casing 10 to accommodate'the cam-arms 53 of bracket 4t), and the casing has a downward projection 60 forward of recess 59 and bearing against shaft '61.

Cooperating with the front portion of the transport bracket 40, and specifically with lip 50 and afrns' .53

thereof, is the manually operated cam-shift mechanism comprising a shaft 61 extending rearwardly and at a slight upward incline into a cooperating cylindrical recess 62 in the casing 10, said shaft being freely rotatable in said recess. A circumferential head or flange 63 is provided on shaft 61 and a cooperating circumferential recess 64 is provided in casing to restrain the shaft against longitudinal movement.

Fixedly mounted upon the forward end of shaft61 is the handle or knob 65 which is manually operable for the shifting operation. The knob 65 has greater length than width and extends generally transversely with respect to shaft 61. Integral with knob 65 and extending rearwardly therefrom eccentrically with respect to shaft 61 is the cam member 66 which cooperates with lip 50 and arms 53 of transport bracket 40 for the needle-shift operation. As shown in Fig. 9, the cam surface of cam 66, i.e., the surface remote from shaft 61, is curved for the camming function.

Two needles are fixedly and replac eably fastened to transport bracket 40. For this purpose, a threaded opening 70 is provided in cross member 45 of said bracket. Into opening 70 is threaded the thumb screw 71, the end portion of the shaft of said screw being peened outwardly to prevent complete removal from cross member 45. Screw 71 holds in clamping engagement with cross member 45 the needle holder 72 which is in the form of a sheet-form yoke (see Figs. 7 and 8) having a flat main section 73 and a downwardly bent rearward section'74. Extending laterally outward from sections 73 and 74, respectively, are the wing sections 75 and 76 which have serrated edges for easy gripping with the fingers, said wing sections being offset upwardly to provide flanges 86 which assist in guiding the yoke to and positioning it in the clamped condition. Extending longitudinally inward from the rear end of section 74 and into main section 73 is the slot 77 by means of which the yoke can be engaged by screw 71 as will be described hereinafter. The forward end portion of main section 73 is bifurcated to form two fingers 78 and 79, the end portions of said fingers being turned upwardly substantially at right angles to the main portions of said fingers. Said end portions of fingers 78 and 79 are vertically slotted and into the slot of finger 78 is fitted the shank of needle 80, and, likewise, into the slot of finger 79 is fitted the shank of needle 81, said needles extending generally horizontally forward from the fingers 78 and 79. The shanks of the needles are composed of resilient metal such as spring steel and the rearward portions thereof are flattened so that they are wide vertically and narrow horizontally and exhibit considerable resilience in the horizontal direction and substantial rigidity in the vertical direction. The forward portions of said needle shanks are substantially cylindrical. Such forward portions need not be of any particular shape in cross section, and they may be angular instead of cylindrical. The forward end portions of the needle shanks are offset downwardly as indicated at 82. In the embodiment illustrated, a precious metal point 83 is received in an opening in the free end portion of the needle shank and is suitably fixed thereto as by cement,

solder, etc. A needle point 84 is similarly fixed to the shank of needle 81, the needle 80, for example, being adapted for use with records operating at 78 r.p.m. and needle 81 with records operating at 33 and 45 r.p.m. A block of suitable damping material 85, such as synthetic rubber, is arranged between needles 80 and 81 adjacent to fingers 78 and 79 and is cemented to said needles.

The insertion of the needle holder 72 into the pickup is accomplished by loosening screw 71 and pushing said holder rearwardly into position with slot 77 receiving screw 71, the operation being'continued until the ends of the flanges 86 encounter edges 51 of blade 44. The flanges 86 engage the side members 46 of bracket 40 and assist in positioning the holder 72 during this inserting operation. The screw is then tightened whereby the holder 72 is clamped in position and the pickup is ready for operation. The flanges 86 also serve to position holder 72 properly in the clamped condition.

Assuming that needle is in the playing position, which position is illustrated in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 14, the control 65 is in position with the cam 66 to the right of the shaft 61, as viewed in Figs. 2 and '14, and tothe left of said shaft as viewed in Fig. 4. As stated heretofore, needle 80 is adapted for use with a record operating at 78 r.p.m., and in the position described the indicia "78" is visible to the operator upon knob 65 as shown in Fig.2. Needle 8b is in operative pressure engagement with coupling member 27. In this position, cam 66 permits transport bracket 40 to be in the upper position thereof indicated in Fig. 3 in which needle 80 is urged with spring pressure against coupling member 27 because in this position of the transport bracket the notched end of coupling member 27 is at a lower position than the needle-engaging surface of the carrier 55 (see Fig. 3). In this position; finger 78 flexes downwardly to accommodate part of the downward movement of needle 80 (relative to needle 81) induced by coupling member 27 With the pickup in the position shown, the tone arm 11 is manually adjusted so that the needle 80 is in engagement with the record groove and operation of the phonograph takes place.

The needle 80 undergoes lateral vibration in following the lateral undulations of the record groove. Such vibra tions are transmitted by coupling member" 27 to the free end of transducer element 21, the coupler 27 acting as a lever in this operation, the fulcrum being the supporting block 31. The element 21 undergoes bending and thereby generates electrical vibrations corresponding to the mechanical vibrations of the needle, the electrical vibrations being transmitted by terminals 17 and conductors 18 to the electro acoustical system of the phonograph.

From Figs. 4 and 14 it is seen that only the mass of needle 80 contributes to the mass of the moving system which is in motion-transmitting relation with the coupling member 27. The guide arms 53 of the shift-transport bracket 40 engage the surfaces of shaft 61 and cam 66 7 whereby the lateral position of the bracket is fixed and it is stationary relative to casing 10 and is incapableof undergoing vibration which might be induced by the needle 80. The twin-needle holder 72 is rigidly fixed to transport bracket 40 by the clamping action of screw 71 whereby said holder is held in fixed stationary position by the transport bracket 40. The fingers 78 and 79 of the holder 72 are rigid in the horizontal direction, and all lateral vibration of the needle 80 is accommodated by flexure of the shank of said needle, principally the, vertically flattened portion of said shank. The needle shank exhibits a high degree of horizontal compliance and operation takes place with cantilever action. As a result of the horizontal rigidity of fingers 78 and 79, none transmitting relation with coupler 27 is at a minimum and only the frequency response characteristics of needle 80 are effective in the reproducing operation. The needle 80 can therefore be designed so as to have the best possible response characteristics for its intended operation,

i.e., to reproduce recordings operated at 78 r.p.m.

Assuming now that it is desired to reproduce from a recording operation at 33 r.p.m., the knob control 65 is manually moved from the position shown in Figs. 2, 4

and 14 to the position shown in Fig. 16. In the course of this operation, said control is moved through the intermediate position shown in Fig. 15. The control isrotated in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figs. 14, 15 and 16. When moving to the intermediate position, the cam 66, in engagement with lip 50 first moves the forward end of bracket 40 downwardly, in the course of: which movement, needle carrier 55 engages needle 80: and moves it downwardly out of engagement with coua sent "such 'pbsition being shown'in Figs. 3 and 1-6. At e, the"needles 80a1id 81 are rnoved to the ee racarrier'sawmeacana rises with bracket lfl'andp'ermi'ts needle 81 t:o ascend into engagement with eeuplin' iaemeer 27. At this time, the assembly ofth'e tra'risport bracket 40, needle holder 72 and needles 8D aiid '81 are in the position shown in Fig. 16, "and heedl'e' 81 "is in the operative or playing position. I Said iiedl e is held down by couplingrnernber 27 out of contact with needle carrier '55 so that it is free to vibrate in response to the lateral undulations of the record groove. The operational :capabilities are probably best visualized by observance of Fig. 4, with the understanding thatueedle 3 1, instead of needle 80, is in operative engage'rnntwithcoupling member 27. It is seen that, l r

here 'a'gain, t h totahn a'ss of the moving system in motion-transnii verel'ation with coupling n'rember 27 is in the hiss dfhiedle 81. For reasons which have been pointed out heretofore, the entire vibratory motion under gone byneedle 81 in response to undulations of the re'cord groove is accommodated by the horizontal compliance of the shankof needle 81. The needle holder 12am the fingers 78 and 79 are held rigidly stationry'rerative to casing '10, as is also the inactive needle 80, whereby the only characteristics which come into play during performance are the characteristics of needle 81 and it ca n be designed to have the best possible characteristics for-itspurpose, i.e., to reproduce records ope riatingat 33 r.p.m. 7 g

, When it again desired to interchange needles 80 and 81 and reproduce a 78 rpmqrecord with needleStLthe cam cofitrolilrnob f65-is moved in the direction opposite to that previously described, i.e. in the counterclockwise directiomto the p osition first described and illustrated inFi gs. 2, 3, 4 "and 14. The interchange ofneedle's is eizgtfeinely easy and simple for the ordinary phonograph user,

Qther-advantages are evident "from thefore'going description. For exaniple,-there';is no turn-over mechanisi'n with tihe attendant objections which,haveben'mentioned in the foregoin-g, but rather a relatively'simple lateral shift mechanism. Also, the replacement of worn needles is easyand simple. All thatneeds-to be done is-to'loosen screw 71, grasp holder 72 between the-fingers, applying the finger pressure to the serrated edges of the extensions 75 and 76. 'New needles are then-inserted by reversing the procedure, namely, inserting the new holder 72 underneath'the spring 71, pushing the holder'rearwardly until the screw contacts the end of slot 77, and then tightening screw 71. It is seen from Figs. 3 and 8 that coinciding bends are provided in holder 72'and the blade 44 of bracket 40.

The-piclgup structure of the'inve'ntion ei'lhibits a high degreeof efiicicncyin the mechanical transmission of vibratory motionfrom the needle to the transducing-el'ement 21. The transmission'i's by 'a'leve'r s'ysternin which thecoupling'nierhber 27 is the leverw It is fulcrumed atits'u ppereiid in elastic-compliant -block 31. *It" receives the force'er ion a'tits'lhwer ens-aid ititrans'rnitsfsaid force tar-eaten to the 't'fansducing element at its interwardly inediat'e fpcn tfn, which in the *sseei aemsbmaem aesciibd is located approximately 'two thir'd's er the re'ng m of the lever from the fulcrum. This piovidesan lethcieritlrnech'anical transmission system which functions with a high d'egree of fidelity in converting uiid ilations ofthe record groove to'vibrations "of theffee end of the transducer element, and hence in converting the inechanicai vibratory energy into electrical energy.

The pickup of the invention-hasthe 'additioiial adva ta'ge that'protection is provided in case the m an is dropped. The protuberance '47 protects against damage to the transducer ele'nient 21. The :constru'ctionis such that while -theneedlejniay strike the surface first the needle shank "and the'finger78 (or 79) undergo vertical 'fieXure and the protuberance 47 then makes contact and absorbs the -niajorjportion of the shock, and it isnot transmitted from the needle to the transducer element where it would cause damage or impairment. p

The pickup which has been described is sirnple and economical with respect to both structure and fabrication'procedlire andlends itself to rapid machineprodii'c tion.

A different embodiinent {of thepickup of the invention is shown in Figs. 17 and 18. p This is gener-ally-siniilar to the embodiment-of Figs. -1 to 16, with the diiference that it hasa twister-type Rochellesaltpiezoelectrictransduce'r element instead of a bender type/of cerarnict'uan'sducer elet nerit. The transducer element 121 is contained inthe cavity 139 ofthe casing and is in thegeneral shape of a platewhich is wider uits-length than the transducer element21 of the 'jernbodirnent of Figs. 1 to 16. The longitudinalja xis of element 121 is inclined downwardly only slightly with respect tqthe longitudinal axis of casing 11G, inadm' arisdn' with the arrangement of element '21 of the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 16. At its rearward endp'or'tion, element 1211s held in-position within cavity119 by ap'ai'r er blocks l22 of elastorneric material, Element 121 is tempered of two thin labs of Rochellesalt ahd each thin slab is-conriected to a terrnirial 117 in a manner grandma "that described *hefeinbefore in conriection with theenibodinint of Figs. 1 to 16. At the upper part of its intermediate peaion, a damping block 125 is arranged on each side of the element and under compression between the element and the wall of cavity 119. At the forward and theredfleieme nt 121 is connected" to coupling ineifnber 127, fsaid hi enilier being in theform organ elongated 'L shaped are whi h has an elongated "slot in its "inidp o rtion -i1i lf11- liiig,.the u wa f r the regs r the L, for ieception (ninetie forward "eaafp l-tisner the traii sdiicerfelefnrit 1. A protective insulatingfshee t byrihg 126 p I r theen d port' 'on'of lenient 1 21 and is arrange clbet w een said element 'an't lfcoupl r, 127,"the coveringybeiug jb iiled to the element 121 and the coupler being' joinedfto covering as by cenient. Th e lowerlg o'fthe L-'s 5" coupler extendsdowrlwardly' 'arfd has a notched Tempertion making niotiomtransinissive fen gmemgfli'e needle The upper'leg'of said taupe: 'eii'teiids -;f61

thereof V y n is fec'eivedin the interior jof' a and fulcruin block- 131. 119 with the legs of th' and with the longitudin p t pa rallelfto the longitud" a1 axis o f Easing 110. It under compression between, and is fadhes'i vely joinedfas by ceinent, to the sias tv'a 1s-ertavay 119. usa

128 isfofia width'so'as to fitb'etwn the legs been i 131, and the end of lls'ai djfla ge rest fagainstfthehase of thechannel. The'en one-{coupler 127 joiiid to the block 131 by suita' e means'e'sfemem I34jfsaid emi b ii i i ei b me marry eat-rep at the anagrams- 1 "between flange 128 "and the Teg Bf.

The adjusting sheen 1$6" is t'liieacl'elilly received iii aii opening 138 in the upper wall of casing 110, and is threaded downwardly, and carries with it block 131 and coupler 127, until said coupler has reached the proper operating position, in the same manner as described in connection with the adjustment of coupler 27 of the device of Figs. 1 to 16. The arrangement is such that in its final position, the top of screw 136 is beneath the top surface of casing 110 whereby the upper portion of the opening 138 is a recess. Cement 139 is placed in said recess, said cement thereafter setting and fixing screw 136 with respect to its position in casing 110. At the same time, the cement joining supporting block 131 to casing 110 sets and fixes said supporting block in position.

The remainder of the parts of the embodiment of Figs. 17 and 18, and their cooperative relationship one with another, are similar to those of the device of Figs. 1 to 16 and will not be described herein. The parts are designated in Figs. 17 and 18 by numerals 100 greater than the designating numerals for the corresponding parts of the device of Figs. 1 to 16.

In the embodiment of Figs. 17 and 18, the coupler 127 traverses transversely the major portion of the width of transducer element 121 and is connected to said element in positive motion-transmissive relation throughout said traverse. In operation, lateral vibrations are transmitted by needle 180 to the end of coupler 127 and said coupler acts as a lever, fulcrumed in block 131, in transmitting the vibrations to the transducer element 121. In the embodiment specifically described and illustrated, the axis of motion is slightly above the true longitudinal axis of the element, as indicated in Fig. 17. Also, in this embodiment there are two needles which are interchangeable by means similar to that described in connection with the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 16. The needle 180 which is specifically illustrated does not have a jewel point such as sapphire or diamond, but has a metal point, such as osmium suitably fixed in place as by welding or soldermg.

Several modifications of the mechanism for interchanging needles are shown fragmentally in Figs. 19, 20, 21 and 22. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 19, the needle transport bracket 190 is in the general form of a flat plate having an upturned flange 191 at the forward end thereof. The main portion of the bracket 190 has a large opening192 therein and the two needles 193 and 194 are fixedly mounted at the rearward end thereof upon the portion of the bracket rearwardly of opening 192 as by soldering, welding, etc. The rearward end of bracket 190 has a smaller opening 195 therein whereby the-bracket is adapted to be pivotally mounted upon the pickup housing in the same manner as is the tongue 44 of bracket 40 is pivotally mounted on stud 41 of the device of Figs. 1 to 17.

The flange 191 has a notch or recess 196 in substantially the mid-portion thereof, and a crank 197 is pivotally mounted upon a portion 198 of the casing similar to the portion 60 of casing located forwardly of recess 59 in the device of Figs. 1 to 16. The crank 197 has a handle portion 199 located forwardly of the casing member 198 and the crank is adapted to be pivoted from the operative position shown in which the handle extends generally horizontally in one direction to the other operative position in which the handle extends horizontally in the opposite direction. The arrangement is such that in the position shown, needle 194 is in upward spring pressure engagement with the coupling member 200 which is similar to the coupling member 27 of the device of Figs. 1 to 16, and the needle 194 is, therefore, in the playing position. When the handle 199 is moved to the other position as previously described, crank 197 first moves the transport bracket 190 downwardly whereby needle 194 is moved downwardly out of engagement with coupling member 200, the bracket is then shifted to the left, as viewed in Fig. 19, and then is allowed to rise to the position in which needle 193 is in pressure operative engagement with coupling member 200. in this embodi ment, as in those of Figs. 1 to 18, the needle-transport bracket is held rigidly in position (by the crank 197), and the only. mass of the moving system in motion-transmissive relation with the coupling member 200 is that of the needle which is in operative or playing position.

in Fig. 20 there is shown a shift-transport bracket 205 which is adapted to be pivot-ally mounted upon a casing similar to casing 10 of the device of Figs. 1 to 16, said bracket being in the general form of a flat plate and having an opening 206 at the rearward end thereof for engagement with a pivotal support such as the stud 41 shown in Fig. 3, and has two downwardly extending flanges 207 and 20S joined to the side edges thereof, anda tongue 209 projecting forwardly therefrom. The needles 210 and 211 are replaceably mounted as shown upon flanges 207 and 208, respectively. The tongue 209 co operates with a retaining member 212 which may be a part of the pickup casing generally similar in arrangement to portion 60 of casing 10, or it may be a separate part supported by such a casing. Retaining member 212 is in the general form of a fiat plate and has a horizontally elongated opening 213 in the lower portion thereof with an angular projection 214 extending downwardly from the mid-portion of the upper edge of opening 213 forming recesses 215 and 216 on each side, respectively, of the projection 214.

In the position shown in Fig. 20, tongue-control mem-' her 209 is in recess 215, and the arrangement is such that said tongue bears with resilient pressure against the upper edge of said recess. Needle 211, inthis position, is in operative engagement with coupling member 217 similar to coupler 27 of the device of .Figs..1 to 17, and, since tongue 209 is held substantially rigidly in recess 215 and said tongue and transport-bracket are substantially rigid in thehorizontal direction, the only mass of the moving system connected in motion-transmissive rela tion to coupler 217 is the mass of needle 1211. To interchange the needles, tongue 209 is pushed downward, which depresses the forward end of bracket 205 and both needles 210 and 211 and moves needles 211 out of engagement with coupler 217. Tongue 209 is then moved toward the right, as viewed in Fig.'20, and into recess 216, during which operation needle 211 is moved out of the operative position and needle 210 is moved to a position just below coupler 217. Tongue 209 is then allowed to rise into recess 216 and needle 210 rises into resilient pressure contact with coupler 217, in which position needle 210 is in playing position and needle 211 is inactive.

In Fig. 21 is shown a different embodiment of shifttransport bracket 220which is in the general form of a flat plate with an opening 221 at the rearward end portion thereof for mounting pivotally on a support similar to stud 41 shown in Fig. 3. Forwardly of opening 221 there are two longitudinally elongated openings 222 and 223, and needles 224 and 225 are fixed to the rearward portion of the bracket and extend forwardly in openings 222 and 223. Forwardly of openings 222 and 223 are smaller openings 226 and 227 which are adapted to cooperate with a retaining element 228 which may best part of the forward portion of the casing, generally similar to part 60 shown in Fig. 3. Projecting forwardly from the bracket is the operating tongue or handle 229.

In the position shown in Fig. 21, needle 225 is in playing position and is in motion-transmissive engagement with coupling member 230, which is similar to coupling member 27 of the device shown in Fig. 3. To interchange needles, the operating handle 229 is pushed downwardly, thereby freeing bracket 220 from engagement with retaining bar 228 and also freeing needle 225 of engagement with coupling member 230. The handle 229 is then shifted to the right, as viewed in Fig. 21, to the position in which retaining bar 228 is in alignment with opening 226, whereupon handle 229 and bracket 220 are Basiasnows-g1 tb-rise, whereby the bracket is engaged and held in d.Iposition by bar 228 and needle 224 comes into operative engagement with coupling member 230. In this embodiment, also, the only mass which is effective or active in the moving system is that of the needle in engagement with coupling member 230. The bracket is substantially rigidly by bar 228 and is substantially rigid in the horizontal direction whereby the vibrations induced by the record groove are confined to the needle which is in the playing position and are not transmitted to bracket 220 and the needle which is in the inactive position.

Iii-Fig. 22"i's'shown a. modification in which the shifttransport bracket 235 is in the general shape of a flat plate with an upturned flange 236 at the forward end thereof. opening '237 is, provided in the rearward portion offtlie bracket, which opening is adapted to .cooperate with a pivotal support similar to stud 41 shown in Fig.8. In the mid-portion ofbracket'235 is an elongarea opening 238, and needles 239 and 240 are fixedly mounted rearwardly of opening 238 and extend .forwaral At a forward portion of opening 238, atneedle carrier member 241 is mounted on the bracket 235 and extendsacros's opening 238, said carrier member having monomer/242 and-243 adaptedrespectively, to engage needles "239 and 240. Adjacent to-the forward end portion of opening 238 is -a pair of downwardly extending bumpersza t, which are turned-down extensions from the edges of bracket member Z SS. v

Projecting upwardly from fian ge 236is a vpair of spaced apart arms -247 and cooperatingwith said arms isva cam 248 which is fixedly mounted upon thetrearward end of shaft 249 which is rotatablymounted inthe forward portionef a housing sirnilar to portion v60 of housing20 of the device of Figs. 1 to -16. "At the forward end of shaft 249 isfixedly mounted the operating knob .or handle 251.

A coupling member 252, similar to coupling member 27 of the device of Figs. l to 16,-e dends downwardly from the casing (notshown) and, inthe position shown in Figf22 is in operative engagement withneedle-239. For interchange of'needles, handle-251 is rotated counterclockwise (as VieWedin-Fig. 22) through an'angle of approximately 180 degrees, thereby moving needle 240 out ofen'gagement with coupling member 252, then shifting both needlesto the 1 right (as viewed. in. Fig....22) then allowing the needles to risewhereby need1e .239 ascends into 'operativeenga'ge'ment with coupling member 252, this operation being similar to the corresponding operation which lies been described heretofore in connection with the apparatus of Figs. 1 to 16. In the embodiment r a 12 r of Fig. 22, the mass of the moving system iH mOtlQI transmissive relation with coupling member 252 is only the mass of the needle which is in the playing position. The cam 248 holds the bracket 235 substantially rigidly against horizontal vibration, and the bracket 235 being substantially rigid in the horizontal direction, vibratory motion is not transmitted to the bracket but. is iconfined to the needle which is in the playing position.

a 'Inventi'onis claimed asfollows:

1. A replaceable two-needle unit for a phonograph pickup, comprising agenerally sheet-form,needleholder, an end of said holderbeing bifurcated to ,provide a pair of bifurcations, ,a needle fixed ttoteac'hof saidbifurcations and extending from said holder in the same, general direction with the playingpoints at therfree end-portions thereof, said holderh'aving a ,slotcextending iinwardlyirom an edge thereof .for clamping engagement with aclamping member of .saidpicknp. i

'2. A replaceable two-needle unit for ,a tp'honograph pickup, comprising a generally sheeteform needle holder, an end :of saidholder being bifurcated toprovide a pair of bifurcations, a .nee'dlefixed-to each of said bifurcations and extending from saidjholderinthe same general.direction with the playing points at the free end portions thereof, ,said holder having :a slot extending inwardly from an edge thereof for clamping engagement ,withia clamping member ,of saidpickup, adjacent sectionstof said sheet-form holder beingtangularly disposed with respect to each other totestablis'hpredetermined;positional,rela- 'tion'ship of said holder on said ,pickup in the clamped conditiontof -said,holder.

3. A r.eplaceable ,twomeedle ,unit for aphonograph pieknp, comprising agenerally vsheetrform ,needle t'holder, anendof .said holder being bifurcated to provide a pair of.bifurcations,,a needlefixed to each of said tbifurcation s and: extendingfromsaid,holder in .theasame general direction with the playing points at the 'free end portions thereof, 7 said bifurcations t, having resilient tcompliancefin a direction normal, to thegeneral plane of said holderand being substantially rigidlin adirection parallel tosaid plane, and .said' .needles having resilient-,cornpilance ina direction parallel to said plane ,and being relativel 7 in a direction normalto saidplane, said holder hav ng means. for :co-operatingwith a releasable. clampingqnema ber of .-said,,pickup. 

